文章基本信息

标题：Seed selection and coexistence in two sympatric Messor harvester ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
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作者：L. Solida ; L. Luiselli ; D. D’Angeli 等
期刊名称：The European Zoological Journal
电子版ISSN：2475-0263
出版年度：2015
卷号：82
期号：2
页码：224-230
DOI：10.1080/11250003.2014.963177
语种：English
出版社：Taylor & Francis Group
摘要：Selective seed consumption by harvester ants may be affected by several seed attributes, amongst which seed size and environmental availability play a prominent role. In the present study, we considered the effects of seed size and seed availability on the coexistence and diet preference of two Messor species (Messor wasmanni and Messor minor). M. wasmanni colonies collected the most abundant resource in the environment, grass seeds (Poaceae), according to their availability whilst M. minor showed a nonselective process. In addition, the two ant species showed a different seed size preference, with M. wasmanni adopting a selective strategy and M. minor a generalist strategy. However, competition for foraging resources between the two ant species (assessed by null model algorithms) seems not to affect their foraging behaviour. The lack of a competitive structure within the ant assemblage suggests, in fact, that resources are not a limiting factor for species coexistence.
关键词：Harvester ants; seed size; seed availability; null models; coexistence